Violence among intimate partners is a significant heaalth problem for women in the Unites States. Nursing organizations and public health officals now mandate that all clients be screenes for violence and that policies be in place for idenifiying and treating vivtims of partner violence. However, these mandates for partner violence screening are untested. The purpose of this prospective cohort study is to test whether a postive screen for past partnet violence is a maker for future violent espisodes. Specific aims for this population-based study are to: (1) Describe the rates of partner violence based on a telephone administer screen assessing one-year period prevalence of physical abuse; (2) Secribe the three-months rate, pattern and severity of partner violence against women based on an in-depth structured telephone interview; (3)Determine the likelihood of short-term abuse based on a positive partner violence screen; (4) Describe the rates of community service use by abused women; and, (5) Determine whether ethnicity, geopgraphy region)that is, rual versus urban), or income level influence the ability of a partner violence screen to prefict future partner violence. Women will be interviewed three months after they have completed an Injury Control Module partner screen. The frequency, severity, and pattern of abusive events in the three months following the screen will be measured in structured telephone interview that includes the Confict Tactics Scale (CTS, Straus. 1992). Violent episodes will be compared across ethnic, geographic, and income level groups. Research methods are developed from femnist perspective with women;s safety as a priority. Interviews with women will be based on a model of empowerment (campbell and Parker, 1996; Campbell, Smith mc Kenna, Torres, Sheridan, and Landenburger, 1993). The Knowledge gained in this study will provide important information about the pattern of violence in a population-based smaple of women liviing in the community. This study will provide the naseline rate and description of violent espisodes for planning subsequent nursing research testing the effects of a nursing partner violence intervention.